Gettysburg a reminder to listen to citizens

Monday marked the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the battle of Gettysburg, widely regarded as the turning point in the Civil War.

On one level, it's difficult today to imagine such deep divisions that led to Americans fighting with themselves, sometimes with brothers fighting on opposite sides. But in many ways, America today has divisions every bit as deep as those the country experienced in the mid-1800s. The question is, what are we going to do about it?

There are many symptoms. Any hint of the federal government attempting to regulate firearms sends some to talk about rebelling before giving up a gun, even when taking guns isn't the suggestion. Outrage wars with frustration every time a new tax is passed. Recent scandals involving the IRS and the monitoring of cell phones by the government leave many with a cold chill, wondering what they don't yet know about.

The root of the problem is that most Americans no longer trust their government. It's one thing for foreign countries to mock the U.S., as has happened with the recent Edward Snowden debacle, but it's another entirely to know that the U.S. government hasn't enjoyed the full support of its people for quite some time.

That's not to say most Americans aren't patriotic; that spirit can't be quenched, no matter how frustrated people get. But gone are the days when people showed respect or even deference to the decisions of the president, regardless of political affiliation, or for Congress. Instead, people see our government continuing to find new ways to spend the money we've already given it, as well as the money we haven't even earned yet as the national debt continues to climb.

And we see Congress in a holding pattern of epic proportions, only rarely coming together long enough to pass any meaningful legislation. The sequester showed it can't even meet its own deadlines, let alone figure out an actual, full-scale budget for the country.

This government, from the newest Congressman to the Oval Office, needs to figure out how to regain the respect of its own people, and do it fast. That means making hard decisions about preserving our tax dollars; even decisions we don't like can be respected if they achieve results, after all.

This needs to happen soon. What now sounds like idle chatter and threats from a few people could one day turn into something more. One only needs to visit Gettysburg to find out just how terrible that could turn out.

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Gettysburg a reminder to listen to citizens

Monday marked the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the battle of Gettysburg, widely regarded as the turning point in the Civil War.